


Waiting For You

by ink_inEden



Series: Mamma Marauders! [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Based on an ABBA Song, Christmas, Dancing, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, Hogwarts, Jealous Remus Lupin, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Remus Lupin, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Soft Sirius Black, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23516362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_inEden/pseuds/ink_inEden
Summary: “This is our last song for tonight,” Frida said into the silence between them with a pleasant Swedish accent.Remus’ head turned towards the stage in surprise. For the first time, he noticed how much the room had emptied since he had abandoned it in favour of saving his own and the Slytherins’ arses.Agnetha smiled meaningfully at the few people who had still not joined the dancefloor – Remus among them, of course – and also lifted a microphone to her lips. “So if there is a special someone – this is your chance for one last magical dance.”Or the day the Marauders were supposed to enjoy ABBA's music live, but Remus' mind was focused on other things
Relationships: Alice Longbottom/Frank Longbottom, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Mamma Marauders! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1471343
Kudos: 65





	Waiting For You

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm back with the self-indulgent the-Marauders-loved-ABBA-series! :)
> 
> This part revolves around the song "I've Been Waiting For You" - the original version, not the Mamma Mia one (because that would be weird) - and of course, Professor McGonagall kept her promise from the previous story! ;) 
> 
> **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the world depicted in this story. They belong to J. K. Rowling. Same goes for the song lyrics, which belong to ABBA.**

//

The room looked as if a gigantic Christmas cracker filled with festive decoration had thrown-up all over the Great Hall. Most students were either dancing their hearts out in the space cleared in the middle of the room or discreetly trying to get drunk on the punch that the Marauders had spiked earlier.

Remus doubted that their professors were actually unaware of the increasingly intoxicated laughter mingling with the music – especially since Dumbledore had consumed the same punch with a rather interested expression on his face mere minutes into the festive gathering – but so far they had remained in their corner of the room and chatted animatedly. Only Filch refused to join them and watched over the dancing crowd with a sour expression on his face as if his life depended on ensuring the minimal bodily contact between the Hogwarts students.

Surprisingly, Remus felt every urge to give him a helping hand.

_It’s fine_ , he told himself while Agnetha and Frida’s cheerful love confessions swirled around in his mind. _I didn’t want to dance anyway._

It was mostly true. Lily had offered to spare him a dance or two earlier and Remus hadn’t just declined because he could feel both James and Snivellus’ threatening glares on his skin. Lily was lovely but he wasn’t interested in her pity. Just like he hadn’t been interested in any other offer he had got tonight. It’s not that he was trying to be _rude_ but even Sirius’ secret private dancing lessons couldn’t compensate for his two left – most of the time injured – feet.

And Remus had been fine with that. Despite his friends’ nagging, he had been content with the idea of simply enjoying the dancing and singing from the side lines and ensuring that nobody drank more than they could handle. _But now…_

Forcefully, Remus tore his eyes away from the dancefloor where soft snowflakes were settling in his friends’ hair. He took a gulp of the punch which he hadn’t planned on consuming at all tonight.

They were _all there_. Sirius had even managed to twirl through every single song without a pause. He had only tied his dark hair out of his glowing face about three dancing partners in and continued without any noteworthy signs of breaking a sweat. And for some reason, Remus suddenly wanted to be one of them.

Grumpily, he watched as Professor Dumbledore giddily guided Professor McGonagall to the dancefloor. Even their ancient Headmaster was having the time of his life.

_Don’t be a dick_ , he chided himself. _You could still ask Lily or Mary or Alice or Marlene or Dorcas or_ any _of the girls still seated._

Involuntarily, his gaze found Sirius’ figure in the crowd. He was by no means as graceful as he had been during dancing lessons, but with his flushed cheeks and the blissful smile on his face, Remus thought that he stood out even more than he did back then.

Currently, Sirius had one arm around Peter and one around Alice and they were jumping around like lunatics. It was possible that Sirius had danced with every willing person in the room at this point – he had even managed to rope James into an overly dramatic display of the waltz about an hour ago.

Remus took another sip of his drink. He suddenly had the unpleasant feeling of being watched. Quickly, he averted his gaze from Sirius’ group and searched for the culprit in the crowd. He didn’t have to look very far. Only three couples to the left, Dorcas had rested her chin on Marlene’s shoulder and mustered him quizzically.

Remus felt heat colouring his cheeks. Marlene and Dorcas had danced around each other for the last couple of months until Dorcas finally bit the bullet and asked Marlene if she would be her date to the ball. Remus had been extremely confused about this turn of events considering that Marlene had previously – in a no less confusing development – asked out Sirius.

However, the whole thing hurt Remus’ head even more when Sirius showed absolutely no sign of upset about being dropped like a hot potato and instead told Remus excitedly that he was now free to go with whomever. The same day, Dorcas had gripped Remus’ wrist when they passed each other in the common room and whispered a meaningful “I did that for both of us” into his ear.

Remus had spent the whole day with sweaty palms and the feeling that he was in some sort of bizarre play for which nobody had remembered to hand him the script. By the end of it, he still hadn’t managed to make sense of it all as it seemed to be one of those days on which Sirius refused to leave his side or even just shut up for a minute or two.

Eventually, Remus was saved by James who moped about being turned down by Lily because of “a date among friends” with Severus. So Remus blurted out the first sensible thing that came to his mind and suggested that the Marauders should do the same. In the end, James concluded that his friends were the only true companionship anyway, Peter disagreed and declined in favour of going with Mary MacDonald instead, Sirius finally seemed to be upset about _something_ and Remus honestly had no clue what was going on anymore.

Remus tore his eyes away and slammed his cup onto the table. _Apparently_ he had wanted to dance after all. With Sirius. And Dorcas knew. So Marlene probably knew as well. And who the hell knew what Sirius knew?

_Fuck_. Remus buried his head in his arms feeling the tale-tell signs of another headache pinching at his temples.

Suddenly, he could feel a touch on his shoulder. Abruptly, Remus sat up, nearly giving the person a bloody nose.

“We have a problem,” Frank informed him slightly nasally with one hand cupped over his smarting nose. Immediately, Remus eyes wandered back to Sirius.

“ _No_ ,” Frank said insistently as if he couldn’t care less who his girlfriend was dancing with at the moment. “You were supposed to watch the _buffet_ , Lupin.”

Confusedly, Remus turned around and mustered the dessert leftovers. Frank sighed and grabbed his chin to point him in the right direction. “The _punch_ , Remus.”

Remus’ stomach plummeted. _Shit_ , he had completely forgotten about that. Uneasily, he scanned the students mingling around the tables nearby. Eventually, his eyes settled on one of Sirius’ cousins, Narcissa Black, who looked nothing like her perfectly pious pureblood-self.

“Shit,” Remus repeated aloud.

Frank sighed again and nodded. “We have approximately one dance until McGonagall notices and hell breaks loose – until then, we have to have figured out how to get her somewhere safe without the snakes biting us.”

“Um…,” Remus murmured, knowing full well that Frank was being kind by not leaving him hanging with something that Remus clearly could only blame himself for.

“Come on,” Frank pulled him out of his seat and over to the group of Slytherins that had gathered around the youngest Black sister.

“What’s going on here?” Frank demanded with the type of authority and sincerity that only a Head Boy who actually took his job seriously could project.

“Get lost, lion!” One of the Goyle brothers growled at him. “We all know that’s the fault of your fucking House!”

Involuntarily, Remus pulled his shoulders up to his ears.

“I’m Head Boy,” Frank said unwaveringly. “I’m responsible for every student in every House, not just Gryffindor. Now, get out of my way, Goyle.”

He brushed past him with Remus in tow and wedged himself in between Narcissa and her friends. “Narcissa, love,” Frank said gently and brushed her long blonde hair out of her face which was plastered to the table top. “Do you feel like you can move?” Narcissa blinked at him, nearly out of it and clearly unable to recognise who was even talking to her. “Okay,” Frank sighed. “Remus? I need a hand here.”

Remus nodded with a knot forming in his throat and timidly reached for her other side. Malfoy – who was sitting on that side – pushed him away immediately.

“How about the filthy half-breed doesn’t touch my girlfriend with his dirty hands?” He snarled. “Who knows where he has stuck them before?”

Remus rolled his eyes but before he could bite back with a snarky comment, Frank gave him a warning look and opened his mouth himself. “He’s trying to _help_ , Lucius. Now, if you want what’s best for your girlfriend, please be so kind and-”

“ _Help?!_ ” Malfoy hissed back. “As if him and his friends aren’t behind all of this. The little blood traitor probably specifically targeted his fam-”

“ _You fucking-_ ” Frank barely caught Remus by the back of his robe before he could launch himself at the self-righteous git, teachers be damned. Why did the stupid snakes always feel the need to target Sirius?!

Rudely, Remus was pulled away from Malfoy and manhandled into Frank’s seat. Threateningly, Frank placed his hand beside Malfoy’s on the table and towered over him.

“Listen, Malfoy,” he hissed lowly. “If you’ve got a problem with Lupin and his friends, you gotta take it up with them. But we both know that you don’t get the type of scars Lupin has by sitting around and combing your ash blonde mane while others do the dirty work. So if you wanna get physical right now, be my guest – I’d rather _help your girlfriend_ before she gets caught vomiting all over the floor.”

Malfoy pressed his lips into a thin line levelling his glare. “ _Fine!_ ” He finally spat. “But if he harms a hair on her head, I’ll hex him to bloody Ilvermorny!”

“Sure.” Frank nodded, satisfied with the answer. “Remus?”

“Yes, of course.” Quickly, Remus got up and placed an arm around the Black girl so they could gently pull her up to her feet. Immediately, Narcissa’s face turned an unpleasant shade of green.

“Make sure nobody sees us.” Frank ordered Malfoy before he could voice any more protest.

Malfoy nodded dumbly but quickly caught himself and jumped to his feet. “What are you waiting for?” He hissed at his friends. “Get some hexes in on the other side of the hall.”

Immediately, Crabbe and Goyle jumped into action while Zabini and Parkinson left the table in a more unsuspicious pace. Greengrass made sure to guard their backs while Malfoy himself cleared the way in front of them. It wasn’t really hard considering that after only three steps bedlam broke loose behind their backs. Remus felt oddly like a lion in a snake pit while Frank and he more carried than guided Narcissa out of the hall.

~*~*~*~

Carefully, Remus snuck back into the Great Hall, hoping that nobody had noticed their absence. Frank gave him a brotherly pat on the shoulder before he made his way over to a table where Alice was already waiting for him. Remus watched them wistfully as they joined the other couples on the dancefloor.

His head was a right mess, really. He’d even envied Narcissa Black for a hot second, when Lucius Malfoy settled down beside her and promised in surprising earnestness to look after her for the night. Even if he was a pretentious git most of the time, he _did_ truly seem to care about the girl.

Quickly, Remus shook his head. Had he really reached the point of wanting to be Narcissa Black or Lucius Malfoy?

He was about to get himself another cup of punch before his thoughts took a turn for the worse, when he unexpectedly collided with another body.

“ _Moony!_ ” Sirius exclaimed out of breath and hastily steadied him. “I’ve been looking for you for ages – where have you been?”

Remus was momentarily at a loss for words. Sirius looked up at him, his eyes bright and wondrous, his face flushed and messily framed by several dark locks that had escaped his sloppy bun, and his fingers were tightly wrapped around Remus’ arms rooting him to the spot with less than two feet between them.

“This is our last song for tonight,” Frida said into the silence between them with a pleasant Swedish accent.

Remus’ head turned towards the stage in surprise. For the first time, he noticed how much the room had emptied since he had abandoned it in favour of saving his own and the Slytherins’ arses.

Agnetha smiled meaningfully at the few people who had still not joined the dancefloor – Remus among them, of course – and also lifted a microphone to her lips. “So if there is a special someone – this is your chance for one last magical dance.”

“Shit.” Before Remus could protest, Sirius grabbed one of his arms more forcefully and dragged him towards the middle of the hall. “Come on, Moony, I haven’t had _one_ dance with you.” Remus felt his cheeks heat a little, but followed willingly.

“I didn’t know you wanted that,” he replied softly as Sirius turned around to face him and the band started playing a hauntingly sweet melody.

“Of course,” Sirius whispered back, looking both surprised and sincere. “I’ve been waiting all night to…” Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and dropped his gaze.

_Huh._ Suddenly, Remus had the confusing thought that Sirius had danced with so many other people throughout the night that probably nobody would even bat an eye at seeing the two of them together now. That was…something.

Slowly, Agnetha’s angelic voice started echoing through the hall. “I, I’ve been in love before. I thought I would no more, manage to hit the ceiling…”

Out of the corner of his eye, Remus glanced at all the couples who started swaying along while tightly wrapped around one another. Even Filch seemed to move almost unnoticeably from side to side with Mrs Norris tightly cradled in his arms.

“Still strange as it seems to be, you brought it back to me – that old feeling…”

Remus felt a trembling touch on his skin as Sirius nervously placed his arms around his neck. “Is this…is that okay?”

Remus turned his attention back to him, the longing feeling within the lyrics starting to cloud his mind and take a hold of his body. Blankly, he blinked at Sirius.

“I, I don’t know what you do. You make me think that you…possibly could release...me.”

“Um…sure.” Self-consciously, Remus put his hands on Sirius’ waist. “I’m…I’m not a good dancer, though.”

“I think you’ll be able to…make all my dreams come true…”

Sirius smiled and visibly relaxed underneath Remus’ touch. “Don’t I know,” he teased softly before he closed the remaining space between their bodies. “I think my toes can manage this one.”

“…and you ease me.”

Remus chuckled lightly and wrapped his arms properly around Sirius while their eyes never strayed from each other’s faces. Carefully, Remus stepped from one foot to the other. Sirius beamed up at him.

In the background, Frida’s voice joined her bandmate’s and they began to harmonise. “You thrill me, you delight me. You please me, you excite me – you’re something I’d been pleading for…”

Only distantly, Remus registered which song they were singing, too occupied with the look in Sirius’ eyes. Remus wondered if he had ever seen his friend’s gaze being so… _open_ and vulnerable…but still _so happy_.

“I love you, I adore you – I lay my life before you. I’ll have you want me more and more.”

“I love this song,” Sirius admitted quietly. “It’s like they know what I’m feeling.” His eyelashes fluttered nervously and he briefly broke their intense eye contact as if he was afraid of Remus’ response.

Dumbly, Remus nodded, his mind suddenly zeroing in on the individual dark and slightly curled lashes brushing along Sirius’ flushed skin. “It’s a…a good song.”

“Not what…,” Sirius mumbled, but then he shook his head and took a shaky breath before he fixated his gaze firmly on Remus’ face. “I love you so much, you know?”

“And finally it seems my lonely days are through…I’ve been waiting for you.”

Remus gaped at him for a second, but then he smiled fondly. “I know.”

For a very long time, Remus hadn’t been able to quite belief that he had truly found people who cared about him in a way that only his parents used to do. And he knew that Sirius struggled with similar thoughts as even his own family treated him with contempt. So, even though he was _technically_ aware of Sirius’ affection, it still made his heart pound that Sirius had chosen to express it so directly and openly.

“I love you, too, dimwit.” He whispered into Sirius’ ear and quickly pecked the skin on the edge of his jaw bone.

It wasn’t something they had _never_ done but it wasn’t quite the norm either. Still, in this moment, it seemed like the right thing to do.

When Remus pulled back, Sirius’ face had – despite the playful insult – lit up like one of the Christmas trees in the corners of the room.

“Okay.” Sirius blushed furiously and quickly hid his face in Remus’ robes. It was oddly sweet. “Good.”

“Yeah.” Remus nodded breathlessly.

When Sirius made no move to re-emerge from his clothes, Remus hugged him closer and subtly buried his nose in Sirius’ hair. It made the position more comfortable. Besides, the texture of Sirius’ hair was always so soft. And it smelled good.

Immediately, Sirius cuddled into him and Remus felt as if they were so engulfed in one another that they had melted into one being. It was a good feeling.

When the feathery touch of Sirius’ eyelashes swiped across the skin of Remus’ neck, he could feel his heartbeat flutter in response. He rested his cheek against Sirius’ head and closed his eyes as well, savouring the tenderness of the moment.

“You thrill me, you delight me,” the music, which he had completely forgotten for a moment, gingerly wormed its way back into his consciousness. “You please me, you excite me – you’re something I’d been pleading for.”

Softly, Remus started humming along. “I love you, I adore you – I lay my life before you…I’ll have you want me more and more…”

If possible, Sirius snuggled even closer. And as he swayed with Sirius in his arms, Agnetha und Frida’s voices gently lulling him into a dream-like state of mind, Remus no longer thought about what Alice and Frank and Narcissa and Lucius and all the other loved up couples had that he wished he could have with someone as well. He just felt… _there_ …and _far away_ at the same time…and…

“And finally it seems my lonely days are through – I’ve been waiting for you…”

//


End file.
